Petroglyphs of Saint Vincent, British West Indies

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CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE HEYE MUSEUM
NUMBER 6

PETROGLYPHS OF SAINT VINCENT,
BRITISH WEST INDIES

By THOMAS HUCKERBY

Reprinted from the American Anthropologist (n.s.). Vol. XVI, No. 2,
April-June, 1914

PRESS OF

THE NEW ERA PRINTING COMPANY

LANCASTER. PA.

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PETROGLYPHS OF ST VINCENT, BRITISH WEST INDIES

[ Reprinted from the American Anthropologist, Vol. i6, No. 2, April-June, 1914.")

PETROGLYPHS OF ST VINCENT, BRITISH WEST INDIES

By THOMAS HUCKERBY

THE island of St Vincent was discovered on the 22d day of
January, 1498. This being, according to the Spanish
calendar, the day of St Vincent, the island was named in his
honor. At that time it was inhabited by a large number of Indians.
Dr Coke states that there were two distinct tribes, Red and Black
Caribs.^ There are many evidences of long prehistoric occupancy,
of which the petroglyphs are among the most important.

Speaking of the West Indies, Dr J. Walter Fewkes states^ that
**not the least significant of the many survivals of a prehistoric
race in the West Indies are rude pictures, cut in the rocks and called
' pictographs ' or 'petroglyphs.' A study of their forms, geograph-
ical distribution, and meaning is an important aid to our knowledge
of the origin and development of Antillean culture : it affords valu-
able data bearing on the migration of the race and points the way
back to its ancestral continental home." The above statements
do not too strongly set forth the position in relation to this important
subject. Tribe may have succeeded tribe in the occupancy of these
islands, but the petroglyphs have remained in the same position
as they were when first chiseled by the prehistoric artist. Such is
not necessarily the. case, however, with the stone implements,
earthenware utensils, and other artifacts which are constantly
coming to hand, since it is certain that many of these were brought
by the various tribes when they migrated to these islands from
their original homes.

The full significance of the West Indian rock-carvings cannot
be realized until all the examples known to exist in the various
islands have been carefully photographed and compared with the
examples found on the mainland. As a preliminary contribution
toward the accomplishment of this desirable object, this short

1 T. Coke, History of the West Indies.

2 Annual Report of Bureau of American Ethnology, 1903-04.

238

AMERICAN ANTHROPOlOG.ST

N. S. , VOL. 16, PL XX\/

A. PETROGLYPH, DEEPLY INCISED; BARROUALLIE, ST VINCENT

B. BOWLDER, DEEPLY INCISED; BARROUALLIE, ST VINCENT

huckerby] PETROGLYPHS OF ST VINCENT 239

article is written. At the present time we propose to deal exclu-
sively with the petroglyphs of St Vincent. On some future occasion,
should the opportunity be presented, we hope to be able to consider
jthe other sections of this field. Probably there is not an island
of greater interest than St Vincent to the student of the rock*
carvings of the Antilles. It also may be said that throughout the
West Indian archipelago there is nothing of greater archeological
importance than the St Vincent petroglyphs.

For the purpose of the present article the petroglyphs now being
considered may be clavSsified under three heads: (i) Deeply incised,
(2) shallow, and (3) cave. This classification is followed herein
when individual examples are discussed.

The process by which the distinct types of petroglyphs were
made must have been somewhat different. In all probability
examples of the first and third classes were produced by means of
a primitive chisel; the outlines of the shallow type may have been
first scratched out and then finished by friction. ^ Im Thurn
states that in British Guiana the deeply incised and shallow en-
gravings are never found in the same district. In St Vincent, the
areas in which they are found are separated by only a few miles.
Nevertheless it is quite possible that they represent different periods
and cultures.

Our notes may incidentally throw some light on the debatable
question of the antiquity of the aboriginal occupancy of St Vincent.
It is an accepted fact that Indians occupied this island under settled
conditions long before the coming of Columbus. But how long?
This is a question for which it seems impossible to find a definite
answer. Judging from the appearance of the rock-engravings and
the fact that the older figures had probably become effaced by the
time the later incisions were made, it would seem that man found
a home in this island much farther back in prehistoric times than
is often supposed. Unfortunately it is not possible to estimate,
with any degree of precision, how long a period would be required
for the petroglyphs to have become obliterated by natural processes.
It is probable that occupancy of the island gradually developed from
occasional visits to settled and permanent residence.

1 Everard F. im Thurn, Among the Indians of Guiana.

240 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [n. s., 16, 1914

Another question of importance to the thoughtful student is,
What tribe was responsible for these art remains? Generally it
has been assumed that the petroglyphs date from the period of the
Carib occupancy, but this theory should not be given undue weight.
At the time of the discovery, the Carib women spoke a different
language from that of the men, from which fact it has been con-
jectured that the males of the community represented the intruders,
and the females the original inhabitants of the island, the supposi-
tion being that the Caribs had defeated the aborigines, exterminated
the men, and taken the women as their wives. To account for the
persistence of the two languages it has been said that the females
were the slaves of the males and that there was very little actual
association between the two. All this may be true, but it would
not satisfactorily explain the existence of this condition over a long
period. In process of time, and that not very prolonged, were the
theory above mentioned tenable, the women would inevitably
adopt the speech of the men. Hence it follows that the Carib
invasion must have taken place not very long before the time
of the discovery; and taking this fact into consideration, together
with the almost certain antiquity of most of the petroglyphs, it
seems unlikely that all the examples are the work of the Caribs,
There may have been several prehistoric tribal migrations from
various parts of the mainland. The large number of petro-
glyphs of one class suggests that the occupancy previous to the
incoming of the Caribs extended over a considerable period. It
is probable that most of the Antillean islands were peopled by one
tribe before the Carib conquest, and the deeply incised figures may
have been produced by them. The Petit Bordel petroglyph is the
only one of the shallow type. We are of the opinion that this
represents a much later period than the petroglyphs of the deeply
incised class. If it is possible to ascribe any of the rock-carvings
to the Caribs, it can reasonably be done in this case.

What these pictographs originally signified it would be impossible
to say. We cannot imagine that they were produced simply to
while away the time. The recurrence of particular figures (see the
notes on Buccament Cave) indicates a definite intention. Prob-

huckerby] PETROGLYPHS OF ST VINCENT 24 1

ably some of the petroglyphs had a religious significance. In every
part of the world, at some time or other, one of the most common
objects of worship has been a block of stone. In St Vincent it is a
very common belief that such stones were used as sacrificial altars.
This is not impossible. It is a well attested fact that the Indians
of the time of the discovery were cannibals. When Columbus dis-
covered Guadeloupe he found the huts of the natives strewn with
human limbs and heads. Some of the petroglyphs may be crude
attempts to depict the forms of dead chiefs whose spirits were
worshipped and whose anger was appeased by the oblation of the
blood of human sacrifice. Probably these were regarded as inter-
mediary spirits through which they approached the supreme deities.
All the petroglyphs may indicate centers of religious worship.

While many of the rock-carvings of St Vincent are of the deeply
incised type, they do not show much resemblance except in the
case of a few conventional heads. There is some similarity in type
between the central figure of the one at Rutland Vale, Layou, and
the larger engraving of the Indian Point petroglyph. The large
figure of Yambou Pass Rock (fig. 77) , so far as depth of incision is
concerned, comes between the deeply incised type and the shallow
engraving of Petit Bordel. With the exception of engravings of
the Buccament Cave, they have all been incised in hard volcanic
rock. .

It is worthy of note that all the petroglyphs in St Vincent are
found near the old sites of villages. We believe it to be a mere
coincidence that many of them are found near rivers. Aboriginal
man would naturally establish his home in close proximity to a
supply of fresh water; and assuming that the petroglyphs indicate
positions of importance, they would probably not have been placed
far from the scene of his everyday life.

The petroglyphs of the first and third classes above mentioned
are of the same type as those found in the other Antillean islands,
and indicate the same culture, while the Petit Bordel petroglyph
and the figures of the Buccament Cave point to a connection with
the culture of the mainland. The Mexican culture, however, does
not appear to have had any influence.

242 AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST [n. s., 16, 1914

In conclusion we may say that in preparing the photographs from
which the accompanying illustrations are prepared every effort
has been made to give reliable representations of the actual petro-
glyphs. Where any doubt exists, it has been stated in the notes on
the particular petroglyph under discussion.

Description of Plates

Plate XXV, a. — This engraved rock is found in the middle of the Glebe field
and is situated about 200 yards to the left of the highway from Barrouallie to Kings-
town. The slope of the bowlder faces westward. The incisions have a depth
averaging about a quarter of an inch. Particular attention is called to the halo
of thirteen rays. This figure may indicate a solar symbol. The basin-like
depression immediately below the bottom of the engraving seems to be a natural
formation.

Plate XXV, &. — This rock lies about 300 yards from the petroglyph shown
in Plate XXV, a. The hollow of the top seems to have been made by pounding,
and the incisions used to sharpen pointed implements.

Plate XXVI, a. — This petroglyph is known to the natives of the island as
"Jumbi Rock", or "Marked Stone", and is sometimes called the "Sacrificial
Stone ". It is situated about a mile up the Rutland Vale valley. The side of the
stone on which the figures are seen has a southerly aspect. A very old man living
in the valley probably correctly states that he remembers the time when the en-
graved surface was in a horizontal position. It will be seen from the illustration that
the river washes the base of the stone. It may be that, some time in the past,
the river slightly changed its course at this point and that what was originally
the foundation of the southern side of this large rock was washed away. The
oblique eyes of the central figure are unique. The cup shaped cavities at the
top of the lines, leading down to the two faces on the left, are considerably deeper
than the parts of the engraving. There are indications of older figures on the face
of the rock. A burial urn containing a skull and surrounded with other bones
was discovered by the writer in this valley. A drawing of this engraved bowlder
has been published by Karl Sapper in his paper on St Vincent, Globus, Bd.
Lxxxiv, Heft 24, Abb. 8, Dec. 24, 1903.

Plate XXVI, b. — This petroglyph is on the extreme point which lies between
Indian bay and Villa bay. The rock faces south. The position of an uncertain
line is indicated by the dots seen to the left of the engraving.

Plate XXVII, a. — This is the most recently discovered petroglyph in the
island. It lies to the right of the highway from Kingstown to Lodge Village.
A small stream flows past the base of the rock. The engraved surface faces
westward.

•Plate XXVII, b. — This engraved rock is found about 300 yards nearer to

AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST

S., VOL. 16, PL. XXVII

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A. PETROGLYPH, DEEPLY INCISED; LODGE VILLAGE, ST VINCENT

B. PETROGLYPH, DEEP.Y INCiStD ; YAMBOU PASS, ST VINCENT

huckerby] PETROGLYPHS OF ST VINCENT 245.

Escape Village than the one seen in Plate XXVIII, a. The large figure at the
bottom is the most interesting; it is not so deeply cut as the other engravings, and
the incisions have a comparatively fresh appearance. The representation of the
snake is the only one found in the island. The face of the rock contains a fair
number of undecipherable markings. Both the Yambou petroglyphs have the
rising sun. Attention is called to the cup-shaped cavity below the head on the
right. There is some similarity in the formation of the ears of the heads of this
petroglyph to Porto Rican examples. Between the two petroglyphs found in
this valley is a flat rock bearing a circle which encloses a cross (fig. 76).

Fig. 76. Fig. 77. Fig. 78. Fig. 79.

Plate XXVIII, a. — This petroglyph is situated in the Yambou pass, on the
windward side of the island. It stands in the middle of a pasture, which is
dotted with large volcanic bowlders. Probably the head on the left (fig. 77)
originally had two projections. There is a faint line on the other side, and there
are very faint indications of other marks on the central face (fig. 78), but they are
not sufficiently clear to warrant their inclusion. On the back of the rock there is
a face of a common type (fig. 79). The only indistinct line given is the one at
the bottom of the monkey's body. During a previous visit we discovered traces
of an original mark, but on this occasion we failed in our efforts to locate it. One
of the heads is highly interesting: it appears to represent the head of a female;
the hair is plaited, and the ear pendant seems to represent a peculiar kind of
earring. Porto Rican petroglyphs have horned heads similar to some of the
engravings in this example.

Plate XXVIII, &. — This petroglyph is situated on the right of the Woods high-
way from Petit Bordel to Linley valley, and forms one of the boundary marks
between the Petit Bordel and Rose Bank estates. The rock has an almost ver-
tical front and faces the east. Most of the engravings are about half an inch
wide and are very shallow. The bottom figures appear to be incomplete. Sev-
eral horizontal lines are scratched across the lower part of it. It is not possible
to say if these formed part of the original engraving; if they did, they probably
indicate the process of operation. It may be that the figures were first outlined
with a sharp implement and then finished by rubbing with wet sand. The three
small figures at the top of the left-hand figure are not very distinct. There is
a similarity between the engraving on the right and one of the St Kitts examples.

Plate XXIX, a. — The cave in which these petroglyphs are found is on the
left side of the Buccament valley, about 200 yards from the seacoast. It is cut out
of the tuff agglomerate flow forming the ridge, which limits the extent of the valley

244

AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST

[n. s., i6, 1914

on the southern side. The cave is about 45 feet high and 30 feet wide, with a
depth of at least 20 feet. The front opens into the valley. A large portion of the
rear wall is covered with engravings. It was found exceedingly difficult to
make a photograph giving a well-defined view of all the markings. Figures not
included in the exposure are shown in figure 80, a, b, c, d, and figure 81. All

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Fig. 80.

the engravings shown in figure 80 are cut in the rock which forms the shelf to the
left of the cave. Figure 81 is scratched in the soft part of the tuff agglomerate
and is situated a few feet above the shelf.

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Fig. 81.

Fig. 82.

Fig. 83.

Fig. 84.

Plate XXIX, &. — This photograph presents a view of the markings found at
the entrance of the cave. Some time ago the land in the immediate vicinity was
brought into cultivation. The burning of the soil revealed a large number of
fragments of pottery and a few rubbing stones. These fragments do not mani-
fest any variation from the other sherds found in different parts of the island. It
may be interesting to note how one of the figures (fig. 82)

O^^^,,-..,^^ seen on the right side of the photograph recurs time after
/' \ time on the other petroglyphs. It is found at Safe Creek,
r y Wyoming; Ojo de Benado, New Mexico; Ometepe, Nica-
^^■^■^ ragua; and at Cachoeira de Ribeiro, Brazil. An earthen-
FiG 8t; ware stamp bearing this figure (fig. 83) has just come to

hand from Carriacou. The character, with not quite the
same curve, is represented at Chicagua Rapids, Venezuela. Another figure
(fig. 84) with slight modifications is found on an engraved rock at San Esteban,
Venezuela. Other figures of this petroglyph are found in various parts of South
America, two of which (fig. 85) seem to be very common.
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AMERICAN ANTHROPOLOGIST

N. S., VOL. 16, PL. XXIX

A. PETROGLYPHS ON BACK OF WALL OF BUCCAMENT PICTURED CAVE, ST VINCENT

B. PETROGLYPHS AT ENTRANCE TO BUCCAMENT PICIURLD CAVE, ST VINCENT

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